Penelope Cruz

Video: Trailer For ‘Nine’ With Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz

BrianTT — Thu, 14 May 2009 07:45:52 -0600

CHICAGO – The trailer for the highly anticipated musical “Nine” was released today and you really must take a look. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Fergie, and Sophia Loren, and directed by Rob Marshall (“Chicago”), “Nine” feels like the first trailer for a likely major Oscar candidate for 2009.

The official synopsis courtesy of Apple: ““NINE” is a vibrant and provocative musical that follows the life of world famous film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he reaches a creative and personal crisis of epic proportion, while balancing the numerous women in his life including his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his film star muse (Nicole Kidman), his confidant and costume designer (Judi Dench), an American fashion journalist (Kate Hudson), the whore from his youth (Fergie) and his mother (Sophia Loren). The film is directed by Rob Marshall (CHICAGO). The original 1982 Broadway production of “NINE,” with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston, won five Tony Awards including Best Musical.”

“Nine” opens on November 25th, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

DVD Review: ‘Elegy’ Features Spectacular Performances From Ben Kingsley, Penelope Cruz

BrianTT — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:06:04 -0600

DVD Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – They have yet to perfectly adapt the great author Philip Roth’s tone from page to screen, but Isabel Coixet’s “Elegy” comes the closest. With other modern masters like Ian McEwan (“Atonement”) and Cormac McCarthy (“No Country For Old Men”) finding a new audience through the successful adaptations of their work, maybe “Elegy” will bring fans to Roth.

With the best performance from Ben Kingsley in a long time and a turn from Penelope Cruz that deserved more consideration in the year-end awards season conversation, “Elegy” certainly deserves a look on DVD. It’s the kind of adult, mature drama that seems to be made with less frequency every year.

Elegy was released on DVD on March 17th, 2009.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Home Video

Kingsley plays David Kepesh, a perfectionist through and through who believes that not only is life planned out but that he wrote the plan. He has perfected every element of his life to the point that he intellectually controls nearly everyone around him. He beds his younger students with ease, doesn’t seem to mind that he can’t get along with his son (Peter Sarsgaard), exercises physically and intellectually with his buddy (Dennis Hopper), and has a girlfriend (Patricia Clarkson) that he only sees on his terms.

Elegy was released on DVD on March 17th, 2009.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Home Video

Of course, David’s is a life that needs to be turned upside down and watching it go topsy-turvy after the entrance of a gorgeous young woman named Consuela (Penelope Cruz) is something predictable in the world of drama but it’s handled eloquently and unpredictably.

Consuela doesn’t just get into David’s bed, she does something he thought impossible - she gets under his skin. The two develop a May-December romance that shatters the strict rules that David has set up and that he thought he’d follow until his final days. But just when David thinks he’s adjusted to one curveball, life throws a distinctly different one his way. “Elegy” is about a man who thinks he has everything under control and learning that he very clearly does not.

A few of the twists and turns of “Elegy” feel a bit forced on the big screen and probably were easier to sell on the page than they were for a screenwriter. And Coixet starts to let the piece feel a bit too melodramatic in the final act.

But these are minor complaints for what is truly an actor’s piece. Hopper, Clarkson, and Sarsgaard are perfect in the supporting cast and Kingsley and Cruz simply rock. She gives a particularly daring performance that I think nearly stands up with her Oscar-winning work in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and her incredible turn in “Volver”. It may be more of an acting showcase than a complete film, but judged as such it’s one of the best of 2008.

Sadly, Sony didn’t see fit to release “Elegy” on Blu-Ray, so “old-ray” will have to do. The film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with an English 5.1 Dolby Digital track that fits the film well without being particularly remarkable.

The same “just about par or maybe a bit under” judgment could be rendered regarding the special features for “Elegy”. All fans will find is a lonely featurette called “The Poetry of Elegy” and a commentary track by screenwriter Nicholas Meyer. Neither are that notable but considering the film made under $4 million in theaters, the paucity of bonuses on the DVD can be understood, if not forgiven.

‘Elegy’ is released by Sony Pictures Home Video and stars Ben Kingsley, Penelope Cruz, Dennis Hopper, Patricia Clarkson, and Peter Sarsgaard. It was written by Nicholas Meyer based on the book by Philip Roth and directed by Isabel Coixet. It was released on March 17th, 2009. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

The Morning After: Upcoming Projects For 2009 Oscar Winners

BrianTT — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:56:35 -0700

CHICAGO – The legacy of Oscar winners following their wins with horrible career choices is long and well-recorded. Perhaps the best piece of news about this year’s Academy Award winners is that they are unlikely to produce a “Snow Dogs,” “Gothika,” or “Aeon Flux” any time soon. The upcoming projects for 2009 Academy Award winners is a more promising slate than most years.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Photo credit: Reel Movie News

Of course, the most well-documented post-Oscar career choice for this year’s winners is that of “The Dark Knight“‘s Heath Ledger, who will have only one more film released, Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”. From the visionary director of “Brazil” and “Twelve Monkeys,” “Parnassus” will be the epilogue for Ledger’s filmography, another brief glimpse at this excellent actor who left us far too soon.

Ledger was midway through filming the fantasy movie when he passed away and his role was recast with Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell portraying a character whose exterior changes as he travels through different dream worlds. All three actors will reportedly redirect their wages from the film to Heath Ledger’s daughter, Matilda. Good, bad, when we do see Heath’s final part and the memoriam credit comes up at the end, there’s unlikely to be a dry eye in the theater.

The projected release date for “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” is September 24th, 2009.

The winner for Best Actor, Sean Penn, won’t be seen in this month’s “Crossing Over” (he was notoriously cut from the ensemble film) but does have one major project already scheduled for this year - Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life”.

The Tree of Life
Photo credit: Playlist

Penn co-stars with someone he beat for the Oscar this week, Brad Pitt, in a drama that any good movie fan should be highly anticipating. Heath Ledger was reportedly in talks to take the Pitt part in late 2007.

To be fair, don’t expect Pitt and Penn to share any screen time. Pitt plays the father of a family dealing with a devastating loss in the ’50s. Penn plays the adult version of one of his sons. Shot by the amazing Emmanuel Lubezki, designed by Jack Fisk, and with a score by “Button” composer Alexandre Desplat, this should be on anyone’s “top ten most anticipated films of 2009” list. Can Sean Penn win two years in a row?

“The Tree of Life” won’t be released until late 2009 but will reportedly play at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

As for beyond “The Tree of Life,” it’s unclear where Sean Penn will go next but we should report that one of the best actors of his generation has been rumored to play Larry in The Farrelly Brothers’ update of “The Three Stooges”. An actor as talented as Penn can clearly do anything he sets his mind to, but we’ll believe that one when we see it.

Best Actress winner Kate Winslet has not committed to a post-Oscar project yet, but one of the hardest-working actresses of her generation has one of the best resumes of the last decade. She makes very smart decisions and it seems unlikely that she’ll make “Catwoman 2”. Yes, we’re looking at you Halle Berry.

Broken Embraces
Photo credit: Pathe

The Oscar winner with arguably the most impressive list of upcoming projects has to be Best Supporting Actress winner Penelope Cruz. Penn certainly has to be in the conversation of 2009 winners who may be there in 2010 too just for “Tree of Life,” but Cruz has two projects that also seem to have Oscar written all over them.

The first will be the newest film from Pedro Almodovar, the highly anticipated “Broken Embraces”. The last time Pedro and Penelope got together, they made the incredible “Volver,” which netted Cruz a nomination and worldwide acclaim. Very little is known about the plot of “Embraces” but it will reportedly open soon in Europe. American audiences will have to wait until November 6th, 2009.

Just a few weeks after “Broken Embraces” opens stateside, Penelope Cruz will be seen again in “Nine,” the highly anticipated musical from “Chicago” director Rob Marshall. With NINETEEN Oscar nominations and nine wins with only two movies (his sophomore film was “Memoirs of a Geisha”), anything Rob Marshall has in production has to be taken very seriously and this one has Oscar potential written all over it.

“Nine” co-stars an amazing SIX Oscar winners. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the lead with Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, and Penelope Cruz in supporting roles. Kate Hudson and Fergie also play supporting parts in the adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical of the same name based on Federico Fellini’s autobiographical “8 1/2”.

Penelope Cruz rehearses for Nine
Photo credit: The New York Times

“Nine” will open on November 25th, 2009 and has to be a very early frontrunner for most Oscar-likely contender at next year’s awards. It seems like Penelope Cruz is making all of the right career decisions.

To be fair, fans of Cruz will be able to hear her before they see her, as the animated “G-Force” opens on July 24th, 2009.

What about the Oscar winners behind-the-scenes? Best adapted screenplay winner for “Slumdog Millionaire,” Simon Beaufoy has a script called “Leap Year” in pre-production with Amy Adams and Matthew Goode reportedly set to go in front of Anand Tucker’s camera. Winner for “Milk,” Dustin Lance Black has no upcoming credits listed on IMDB, but he is a producer and regular writer on “Big Love,” which continues on HBO.

Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, who won for his camera work on “Slumdog Millionaire,” is reportedly shooting Lars Von Trier’s “Antichrist”.

Two of the more acclaimed directors at this year’s Oscars - Danny Boyle and “WALL-E“‘s Andrew Stanton - have potential projects that could really get fans excited.

Boyle has talked about making “28 Months Later” for a while and when I spoke to him last Fall, he said that he had a good idea for it that was quite complex and required a bigger budget than the last two films. They were working out the economics, but one would think an Oscar makes any potential project easier to greenlight. If I had to bet, I’d bet “28 Months Later” is Boyle’s next project.

As for Andrew Stanton, Pixar has “Up” coming out later this year but Andrew may move into live-action with the long-in-development adaptation of “John Carter From Mars”. IMDB even lists the film as officially happening for a 2012 release. I spoke to Andrew last summer and he was spending all of 2008 with co-writer Mark Andrews on the story, unsure even if it would be live-action or animation until they got that right, but it seems pretty likely to be Stanton’s next film.

From “Milk” to “The Tree of Life,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” to “Nine,” “The Dark Knight” to “The Imagnarium of Doctor Parnassus,” and many more, it seems like the 2009 Oscar class has a more exciting slate of upcoming projects than in many former seasons. We may be writing about them all again in twelve months time.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 20-Image Gallery From Back Stage at 81st Annual Academy Awards

BrianTT — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:12:59 -0700

CHICAGO – This 20-image slideshow contains a selection of the award-winners and presenters back backstage at “The 81st Annual Academy Awards,” which aired on ABC on Sunday, February 22nd, 2009.

Winners and presenters include Dustin Lance Black, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, A.R. Rahman, Danny Boyle, Christian Colson, Steven Spielberg, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, Penelope Cruz, Anjelica Huston, Tilda Swinton, Goldie Hawn, Eva Marie Saint, Whoopi Goldberg, Tina Fey, Steve Martin, Andrew Stanton, Sir Ben Kingsley, Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas, Adrien Brody, and Sir Anthony Hopkins.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos are credited to Adam Larkey and courtesy of ABC. All Rights Reserved.

oscars2009_backstage_01: Dustin Lance Black
oscars2009_backstage_02: Kate Winslet
oscars2009_backstage_03: Kate Winslet
oscars2009_backstage_04: Sean Penn
oscars2009_backstage_05: Sean Penn
oscars2009_backstage_06: A.R. Rahman
oscars2009_backstage_07: Danny Boyle
oscars2009_backstage_08: Danny Boyle
oscars2009_backstage_09: Christian Colson and Steven Spielberg
oscars2009_backstage_10: Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, and Penelope Cruz
oscars2009_backstage_11: Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, and Penelope Cruz
oscars2009_backstage_12: Atmosphere
oscars2009_backstage_13: Anjelica Huston, Tilda Swinton, Goldie Hawn, Penelope Cruz, Eva Marie Saint, and Whoopi Goldberg
oscars2009_backstage_14: Tina Fey, Dustin Lance Black, and Steve Martin
oscars2009_backstage_15: Andrew Stanton
oscars2009_backstage_16: Sir Ben Kingsley, Sean Penn, Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas, Adrien Brody, and Sir Anthony Hopkins
oscars2009_backstage_17: Penelope Cruz
oscars2009_backstage_18: Penelope Cruz
oscars2009_backstage_19: Penelope Cruz
oscars2009_backstage_20: Dustin Lance Black

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Taking the Oscars Home: How to See the 2009 Academy Award Winners

BrianTT — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:57:43 -0700

CHICAGO – Believe it or not, a lot of people heard about some critically acclaimed 2009 films for the first time on Sunday night, when they won or were nominated for 2009 Academy Awards and are now wondering how they can see winning films like “Milk,” “The Reader,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” and shorts like “La Maison en Petits Cubes” and “Toyland”. Let us guide the way.

Milk
Photo credit: Universal

Of course, the big winner of the night was “Slumdog Millionaire,” which does not yet have a DVD/Blu-Ray release date, but you can expect one soon. The film will probably get another expansion in theaters to capitalize on its eight Oscars before a DVD release in probably May or June.

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” winner of three awards, didn’t get enough major trophies to get a theatrical expansion, but also doesn’t have a release date yet. Expect it in late April or early May, although they could be putting together a more “special edition,” which would delay till closer to Summer.

In the final bit of sad, major winner news, “The Reader” is still playing in theaters, so you’ll have to pay to see Kate Winslet on the big screen or wait a while for the home release.

Now for the good news. Three out of the four acting winners are either on DVD/Blu-Ray now or coming soon.

Sean Penn won best actor and Dustin Lance Black won best original screenplay for “Milk” and Focus/Universal has timed that film’s home release perfectly, bringing Gus Van Sant’s masterful film home on March 10th, 2009. Universal also holds the DVD rights to the fifth best picture nominee “Frost/Nixon”. The Ron Howard film will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on April 21st, 2009.

Frost/Nixon
Photo credit: Universal

Both supporting award winners were already available at DVD stores. You can catch Penelope Cruz’s work in the great “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and Heath Ledger’s in the amazing “The Dark Knight” now. You’re not a movie fan if you haven’t seen them both.

The question I was asked the most on Sunday night was how to see the Oscar-nominated and winning short films. Most are all available on iTunes for $1.99 a piece. Sadly, the deserving and gorgeous animated winner, “La Maison en Petits Cubes,” is not available.

But there’s still a few shorts worth checking out. Start with the winning and touching “Toyland”. If you want to see more deserving nominees, the animated “This Way Up” is totally worth the time and live action “Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)” & “Manon on the Asphalt” are both better than the actual winner, in my opinion. And better than “The Reader”.

Of course, the most Oscar-nominated animated film of all time and the winner in its specialized category, “WALL-E” has been available on DVD and Blu-Ray for a while now. If you’re thinking about upgrading to Blu-Ray and HD, “WALL-E” may be reason enough. It’s beautiful.

The winner for best documentary, “Man on Wire” is also available on DVD and Blu-Ray, but the foreign language film winner, “Departures,” hasn’t even played in most domestic markets. Good luck tracking that one down, although its win should get it a wider theatrical release than it otherwise would have received.

Doubt
Photo credit: Miramax

Finally, the winner for best costume design, “The Duchess” has been available on DVD and Blu-Ray for a few months.

To recap the big winners - “WALL-E,” “The Dark Knight,” “Man on Wire,” “The Duchess,” and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” are all at your local video store. “Milk” will be released on 3/10/09. We’re waiting on release dates for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Reader,” and “Slumdog Millionaire”.

As for nominees on DVD and Blu-Ray, you can also check out “The Visitor,” “Changeling,” “Frozen River,” “Tropic Thunder,” “In Bruges,” “Kung Fu Panda,” “Encounters at the End of the World,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” “Iron Man,” and “Wanted” today if you want.

As for upcoming nominees, “Australia” comes home on March 3rd, 2009, “Rachel Getting Married” and “Happy-Go-Lucky” will be released with “Milk” on March 10th, 2009 (call it “Oscar DVD Day”), “Bolt” will be in stores on March 22nd, 2009, “Doubt” will hit stores on April 7th, 2009, and “Frost/Nixon” comes out on April 21st, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 27-Image Oscar Gallery From on Stage at 81st Annual Academy Awards

BrianTT — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:15:25 -0700

CHICAGO – This 27-image slideshow contains a selection of the award-winners and presenters at “The 81st Annual Academy Awards,” which aired on ABC on Sunday, February 22nd, 2009.

Winners and presenters include Hugh Jackman, Penelope Cruz, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, Anne Hathaway, Ben Stiller, Natalie Portman, Jessica Biel, Beyonce Knowles, Jerry Lewis, A.R. Rahman, Reese Witherspoon, Zac Efron, Alicia Keys, Robert Pattinson “Twilight” and “The Twilight Saga’s New Moon,” Amanda Seyfried of “Mamma Mia,” Danny Boyle, and Steven Spielberg

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos are credited to Michael Yada and courtesy of ABC. All Rights Reserved.

oscars2009_stage_01: Host Hugh Jackman
oscars2009_stage_02: Host Hugh Jackman and Performer/Nominee Anne Hathaway
oscars2009_stage_03: Host Hugh Jackman
oscars2009_stage_04: Penelope Cruz Wins Best Supporting Actress
oscars2009_stage_05: Kate Winslet Wins Best Actress
oscars2009_stage_06: Sean Penn Wins Best Actor
oscars2009_stage_07: Host Hugh Jackman
oscars2009_stage_08: Host Hugh Jackman and Performer/Nominee Anne Hathaway
oscars2009_stage_09: Presenters Robert Pattinson and Amanda Seyfried
oscars2009_stage_10: Presenters Ben Stiller and Natalie Portman
oscars2009_stage_11: Presenter Jessica Biel
oscars2009_stage_12: Performer Beyonce Knowles
oscars2009_stage_13: Performer Beyonce Knowles
oscars2009_stage_14: The Family of Heath Ledger Accepts Best Supporting Actor
oscars2009_stage_15: The Family of Heath Ledger Accepts Best Supporting Actor
oscars2009_stage_16: Phillippe Petit Accepts Best Documentary
oscars2009_stage_17: Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Jerry Lewis
oscars2009_stage_18: Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Jerry Lewis
oscars2009_stage_19: Zac Efron and Alicia Keys Present Best Score to A.R. Rahman
oscars2009_stage_20: Performer/Winner A.R. Rahman
oscars2009_stage_21: Presenter Reese Witherspoon
oscars2009_stage_22: Danny Boyle Wins Best Director
oscars2009_stage_23: Kate Winslet Wins Best Actress
oscars2009_stage_24: Kate Winslet Wins Best Actress
oscars2009_stage_25: Sean Penn Wins Best Actor
oscars2009_stage_26: Presenter Steven Spielberg
oscars2009_stage_27: Producer Christian Colson and the Cast and Crew of Slumdog Millionaire Win Best Picture

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 30-Image Gallery For Red-Carpet Arrivals at 2009 Academy Awards

BrianTT — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:45:22 -0700

CHICAGO – This 30-image slideshow contains a selection of the arrivals at The 81st Annual Academy Awards. Want to know what people were wearing? Check out images of Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz, “High School Musical“‘s Vanessa Hudgens, Marisa Tomei, Mickey Rourke, Natalie Portman, Taraji P. Henson, Melissa Leo, “New Moon“‘s Robert Pattinson, and many more.

oscars2009_red_carpet_01: Miley Cyrus
oscars2009_red_carpet_02: Emile Hirsch
oscars2009_red_carpet_03: Vanessa Hudgens
oscars2009_red_carpet_04: Freida Pinto
oscars2009_red_carpet_05: Melissa Leo
oscars2009_red_carpet_06: Viola Davis
oscars2009_red_carpet_07: Taraji P. Henson
oscars2009_red_carpet_08: Richard Jenkins
oscars2009_red_carpet_09: Heidi Klum
oscars2009_red_carpet_10: Leslie Mann
oscars2009_red_carpet_11: Amy Adams
oscars2009_red_carpet_12: Amanda Seyfried
oscars2009_red_carpet_13: Sarah Jessica Parker
oscars2009_red_carpet_14: Diane Lane
oscars2009_red_carpet_15: Marisa Tomei
oscars2009_red_carpet_16: Marisa Tomei and Natalie Portman
oscars2009_red_carpet_17: Mickey Rourke
oscars2009_red_carpet_18: Evan Rachel Wood
oscars2009_red_carpet_19: Meryl Streep
oscars2009_red_carpet_20: Jessica Biel
oscars2009_red_carpet_21: Penelope Cruz
oscars2009_red_carpet_22: Kate Winslet
oscars2009_red_carpet_23: Angelina Jolie
oscars2009_red_carpet_24: Alicia Keys
oscars2009_red_carpet_25: Virginia Madsen
oscars2009_red_carpet_26: Robert Pattinson
oscars2009_red_carpet_27: Melissa George
oscars2009_red_carpet_28: Natalie Portman
oscars2009_red_carpet_29: Mickey Rourke
oscars2009_red_carpet_30: Angelina Jolie

Read our full 2009 Oscar coverage of the winners.
Read our full list of the 2009 Oscar nominees.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ Kate Winslet, Heath Ledger, Sean Penn Win 2009 Academy Awards

BrianTT — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:17:08 -0700

CHICAGO – Fox Searchlight’s “Slumdog Millionaire” was the huge winner at The 81st Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, February 22nd, 2009 taking home an amazing eight Oscars, including the trophies for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film also won Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Score, Best Song, and Best Sound Mixing.

“Slumdog” was easily the big winner of the night, followed by “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” with three trophies and “Milk” and “The Dark Knight” with two.

Penelope Cruz at the 2009 Oscars.
Photo credit: Michael Yada/AMPAS

Acting winners started with Penelope Cruz taking the Supporting Actress trophy for “Amy Adams & Viola Davis for “Doubt,” Taraji P. Henson for “Benjamin Button,” and Marisa Tomei for “The Wrestler”. Cruz joked about possibly fainting and thanked Woody Allen for giving her a great role.

The Supporting Actor trophy went to Heath Ledger for “The Dark Knight”. The deceased actor’s family accepted for him after a standing ovation from the audience. Ledger beat out Josh Brolin for “Milk,” Robert Downey Jr. for “Tropic Thunder,” Philip Seymour Hoffman for “Doubt,” and Michael Shannon for “Revolutionary Road”. The last posthumous winner was Peter Finch who won Best Actor for 1976’s “Network”. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after Ledger’s win.

The Actress award went, predictably, to the great Kate Winslet for “The Reader,” her first win after five previous nominations. A teary-eyed Winslet beat out Meryl Streep for “Doubt,” Anne Hathaway for “Rachel Getting Married,” Melissa Leo for “Frozen River,” and Angelina Jolie for “Changeling”.

The final acting award of the night was arguably the most nail-biting with Sean Penn taking the prize for “Milk” over Mickey Rourke for “The Wrestler”. The two were in a dead heat from most Oscar watchers, leaving Frank Langella for “Frost/Nixon,” Richard Jenkins for “The Visitor” and Brad Pitt for “Benjamin Button” to wait till next time.

Philippe Petit of “Man on Wire” at the 2009 Oscars.
Photo credit: Michael Yada/AMPAS

Danny Boyle jumped up and down after winning for “Slumdog Millionaire,” clearly the emotional favorite of the evening. The last film to win at least eight awards was “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” five years ago.

Best Animated Film went to “WALL-E,” Best Documentary to “Man on Wire,” and, in one of the few surprises of the evening, Best Foreign Language Film went to “Departures,” over the more popular “The Class” and “Waltz With Bashir”.

The style of the Academy Awards this year was very different. Previous winners gave speeches about each of the acting nominees including presenters like Shirley MacLaine, Sophia Loren, Anthony Hopkins, Sir Ben Kingsley, Tilda Swinton, Halle Berry, and Kevin Kline. Awards were also commonly given away in groups with both screenplays, sound and visual effects, and the music awards being given away at the same time.

Dustin Lance Black won Best Original Screenplay for his debut work on “Milk” and gave one of the most heartfelt and moving speeches of the night. Simon Beaufoy won Best Adapted Screenplay for “Slumdog Millionaire”.

On the technical ledger for awards that “Slumdog Millionaire” didn’t take home, “The Dark Knight” won Sound Editing, “Benjamin Button” won Visual Effects, Makeup, and Art Direction, and “The Duchess” won Costume Design.

The winning short films were “Smile Pinki,” “La Maison en Petits Cubes,” and “Toyland”. Hugh Jackman hosted the affair and while many will critique and praise him in the coming hours, he came off as likable and certainly gave it his all. Jerry Lewis won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

See our 30-image red-carpet slideshow of the 2009 Oscars.
Read our full list of the 2009 Oscar nominees.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Mickey Rourke, Melissa Leo Win 2009 Film Independent Spirit Awards

BrianTT — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:31:45 -0700

CHICAGO – “The Wrestler” was the big winner at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles, as Darren Aronofsky’s film took home the prize for Best Picture and Mickey Rourke won for Best Actor. Other big winners included Melissa Leo for Best Actress for “Frozen River,” James Franco for Best Supporting Actor for “Milk,” and Penelope Cruz for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”.

Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight

Mickey Rourke gave the most entertaining speech of the day, taking time to note that friend Eric Roberts should get the same kind of career comeback that he has had with “The Wrestler” and becoming emotional when speaking about his recently deceased close friend, his dog Loki. Like a lot of people, he was clealry having a blast

Rourke gave one of the most heartfelt, fun, and generally entertaining speeches in years, a part of a ceremony that always feels more laid-back and enjoyable than nearly any other awards show. How many other awards shows feature f-bombs and giant bottles of Jameson on the table?

The Steve Coogan-hosted event included unusual musical numbers (sung by people like Christina Applegate, Teri Hatcher, and Rainn Wilson) for the five films nominated for Best Feature (“Ballast,” “Frozen River,” “Rachel Getting Married,” “Wendy and Lucy,” and “The Wrestler”)

“The Wrestler” may have been the big winner but the Independent Spirit Awards, hosted by Steve Coogan and broadcast live on IFC, really spread the wealth around with each acting award and the director award going to five different films.

Other major winners includes Thomas McCarthy for Best Director for “The Visitor,” Woody Allen for Best Screenplay for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” “The Class” for Foreign Film, Maryse Alberti for Best Cinematography for “The Wrestler,” and “Man on Wire” for Best Documentary.

Charlie Kaufman won Best First Feature for “Synecdoche, New York” and Dustin Lance Black won Best First Screenplay for “Milk”.

The Acura Someone to Watch Award went to Lynn Shelton for “My Effortless Brilliance”. The Plaget Producers Award went to Heather Rae for “Frozen River”. Margaret Brown won the Lacoste Truer Than Fiction Award for “The Order of Myths”. The team behind “Synecdoche, New York” was given a special prize, the Robert Altman Award, given to the film’s director, casting director and its ensemble cast.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona,’ First Woody Allen Movie on Blu-Ray

BrianTT — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:11:23 -0700

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – I love “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”. It’s a wonderful slice of whimsy and sexuality that perfectly captures something about Spain that’s impossible to put into words.

I will revisit Woody Allen’s delightful, breezy film for years to come, but I hate that The Weinstein Company has chosen to kick off the catalog of one of my favorite filmmakers with a features-free, bare-bones release that barely takes advantage of this wonderful new format.

Allen gets a lot of help from his spectacular cast. Javier Bardem is confident, Rebecca Hall is wonderful, and Penelope Cruz gives one of the best performances of the year. (Scarlett Johansson is slightly miscast, but never awful.)

Vicky Cristina Barcelona was released by The Weinstein Company on January 20th, 2009.
Photo credit: The Weinstein Company

Johansson plays Cristina, a woman looking for what she calls “counter-intuitive love”. Her friend Vicky is the more intellectual of the two, a woman about to be married but still passionate enough to cry at well-played guitar. Both fall for the suave Juan Antonio (Bardem), who is still trying to deal with his ex-wife, Maria Elena (the amazing Penelope Cruz).

Vicky Cristina Barcelona was released by The Weinstein Company on January 20th, 2009.
Photo credit: The Weinstein Company

Vicky spends a passionate, unexpected evening with him and Cristina even goes as far as moving in. But this is not a movie about a threesome or sexual proclivity. It’s about the way human emotions and sexuality can be unexpected and unpredictable. It’s ALL counter-intuitive love.

The main reason I love “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” is that it shows Allen doing what he often does - telling a very simple story that many people would assume is easy to write and direct but is actually incredibly difficult. Making a film as laid-back and smooth as a summer in Barcelona is an unbelievable challenge, one that deserved a Best Original Screenplay nomination.

Why do some studios insist on only releasing their summer blockbusters or $100 million budget projects with special features? Do they think we’re not interested in any of the development behind-the-scenes of in the cast’s opinion of a film like “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”? Or are they merely double-dipping, knowing that casual fans will rent (and not be concerned about bonuses) and that the serious one will just buy it again when a special edition is released? No matter the reasoning, it’s aggravating.

What’s not aggravating is the quality of the film itself, one of the best of 2008 and easily Allen’s best since “Match Point,” which was his best since “Crimes and Misdemeanors”. “VCB” holds up incredibly well. I’ve watched it three times now and respected and enjoyed it more every single time.

“Vicky Cristina Barcelona” is pure enjoyment, but the Blu-Ray release is nothing but frustrating. Considering most of the film takes place in the sun-kissed, warm beauty of Barcelona, I expected a stunning 1080p picture. Eh. It’s okay. It’s not distracting but it’s also not as remarkable as it could have been. Some of the indoor scenes look surprisingly soft, without as much detail as I was expecting or as I believe I saw in theaters or on awards screener. The audio track mixes the dialogue well but doesn’t stand out.

As for special features, there aren’t any. Not even a preview. That’s unacceptable, especially for a format that has revolutionized the way that behind-the-scenes information can be presented to the viewer.

For now, rent “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”. Maybe even twice. But until The Weinstein Company releases a more special edition for this very special film, hold off on purchasing it.

‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ is released by The Weinstein Company and stars Javier Bardem, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, and Patricia Clarkson. It was written and directed by Woody Allen. It will be released on January 27th, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com